


Just this one proper dance

by sherlylikeswaffles



Category: BBC Sherlock, Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Dancing, F/M, balletlock, but they dance the waltz, mary and john's wedding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-06
Updated: 2014-09-06
Packaged: 2018-02-16 09:53:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2265315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sherlylikeswaffles/pseuds/sherlylikeswaffles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John and Mary's wedding is in a month and Sherlock realised with a shock that the groom doesn't know how to dance. In order to become a proper teacher, he asks Molly to show him to dance like a woman. So it's not really balletlock, but waltzlock (does that even exist?).</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just this one proper dance

**Author's Note:**

  * For [pocket pavel](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=pocket+pavel).



> So the idea to this ficlets comes from my best friend Pocket Pavel and I will post it some time on tumblr. My tumblr URL is sherlylikeswaffles, too by the way. Thank you, Pocket Pavel and I'm glad you like it.

“Finished”, he thought satisfied and pressed play. The sound of his violin rang through his living room. It sounded good. Perhaps a few alteration here and there. Quite pleased with himself, he settled down in his arm chair and checked his to do list for John and Mary's wedding.  
Wedding gift: done.  
He was about to find the next task, after all he wanted the wedding to be nothing but perfect. His mind wandered to the waltz again. He imagined Mary and John dancing to it. Suddenly he was back on his feet. He had forgotten: John couldn't dance! How could he have forgotten that? He was Sherlock after all. He had seen that John had no sense for dancing when they had to investigate in a dance club and he hadn't even managed to imitate the easiest moves. Sherlock had laughed it off at that time and just pretended he didn't know what to do either. He had never mentioned to John that he used to dance ballet professionally and occasionally traditional dances, but that John was incapable of neither was obvious. In less than a month was the wedding and the groom couldn't dance. Why hadn't Mary said anything? Oh, right, John wouldn't have told her. He probably thought he could learn how to dance via YouTube or something. Something had to be done. Right now.  
Sherlock was about to dial John's number, when he remembered that he didn't know how to make the women's steps and if he wanted to teach John he had to pretend to be Mary. He considered this a moment. Which woman could he ask for help? Mary? No, it's best she didn't know about it. Never worry the bride. Mrs Hudson? No, she would make too many annoying comments. Molly, then. Actually she had been the first who had come to his mind, unconsciously she lingered in the back of his mind palace, but since he had found out that she was engaged, he had tried to keep his distance. Giving her a chance to forget him. Still he knew that she would help him, every time, always. She wouldn't ask stupid questions, plus she was a dancer. Although she had decided against becoming a professional dancer, she had never stopped training. Molly went twice a week to dance class. With Tom, Sherlock asked himself and he tried to imagine how Tom would make a fool out of himself trying to keep up with Molly.  
He wrote in his mobile:  
Hi Molly,  
I need your help with something.  
Can I come over to your flat?  
SH

He read the message and decided to edit it a little bit:  
Hi Molly,  
I need your help with something (related to John's wedding)  
Can I come over to your flat?  
SH

The last time he had needed her, he had asked her to fake his death. It was better to not make her worried. 

Her answer came just seconds later:

Hi Sherlock,  
of course, I can help you:) Just come over.  
Molly

Sherlock smiled and replied:

Is Tom currently at your home?  
SH

Her response:  
No, he is currently at work.  
Molly

Sherlock was pleased and typed:  
I'll be at your place in 20 min.  
SH

He kept his word. Twenty minutes later he stood in front of Molly's door. She opened upon the first ring. She wore a green dress with a floral print and had her hair pulled up into a loose bun. She smiled and her smile reached her brown eyes.  
“Hello, come right in”, she said. She had grown quite confident being around him. He liked that. “Hello, Molly. Thanks for your ...time”, he said and stepped inside.  
“So what's the problem?” she asked right away because small-talk with Sherlock mostly ended up being awkward. He told her.  
“Okay. You are right. That's a serious problem. But I don't know why you came to me of all people?”  
“Oh,” Sherlock said, realising his mistake, “I deduced about you a long time ago that you are a professional dancer or used to be, but now you still take dance lessons twice a week.”  
“Oh, right. That explains it, I guess”, said Molly, but she seemed doubtful about it. He could have asked a professional dancing instructor. Sherlock always had a reason for the things he did, so she didn't question it. She didn't even ask how it came that Sherlock knew to dance. He was Sherlock after all, he could do everything he wanted.  
“So, with what dance shall we begin?” she asked instead.  
“With the wedding waltz, I'd suggest.”  
“Right. The guests will watch them dance. Okay, let me just look for the right music. I'll be right back.” She turned around to her bed room, but Sherlock said: “I've already got the music here.”  
He had connected his smartphone to her stereo boxes and pressed play. His violin began to play.  
“Who composed this?” Molly asked, touched by the beauty of the music.  
“I did”, he whispered, not wanting to disturb the magical atmosphere the music created.  
Molly smiled and closed her eyes. “It's so beautiful. Sherlock, you really can do amazing things.”  
Sherlock didn't know what to say. He simply stared at her. In that moment she was even more beautiful that the music that surrounded them. She glowed with joy. Throughout the whole waltz she hadn't moved an inch. She had just stood there and listened. One small tear had escaped her eye. Sherlock hadn't moved either, he had just watched her react to the music, his music. It made him quite proud that he could cause such emotional outburst when he was usually known for being unemotional and cold. The last note sounded and the room was filled with a sweet silence. Sherlock took a step forwards and without really thinking about it, he swept away the tear on Molly's cheek. She smiled up to him. He realised this would have been the ideal moment to kiss her. But he didn't. She was with Tom. She had moved on. They stood there for some minutes in silence.  
It was Molly, who finally broke it: “John will be very moved by your wedding present. And I know your best man's speech will be great, too.”  
“Thanks”, Sherlock said, his voice sounded nothing like his usual voice.  
“So, shall we begin?” asked Molly and went to replay the waltz composed by Sherlock.  
“Yes”, he agreed.  
“Okay, look, when the man makes a right step forwards, the woman makes a left step backwards, then the woman goes right and the man left and so on.”  
Molly and Sherlock stood side by side and Sherlock imitated Molly's movements.  
“All right,” he said, “that's quite easy. How about we dance together but with reversed roles?”  
“Okay, that will be funny”, she laughed and stepped before him. For a moment they just stood awkwardly in front of each other, then Molly placed one hand on Sherlock's back and held the other out for him. He took it and put his other hand on her arm.  
“That's hilarious!” laughed Molly, “I'm afraid you are too tall to be a woman.”  
Sherlock laughed, too. “Oh, it'll work. Mary will be taller than John in her wedding shoes.”  
“Okay, right. So let's begin. And remember Sherlock, I'm the one who's leading this dance.”  
Sherlock nodded and they began to dance. At first it worked quite well, Sherlock simply concentrated on Molly's steps and fell into the rhythm of the music. But then the first rotation came and Sherlock forgot that he was supposed to be the woman. He held up his arm and Molly did the same. They looked at each other and busted out laughing.  
“Oh, right. Sorry,” giggled Sherlock and ducked in order to rotate beneath Molly's arm. But when they came back into the standard dancing position they somehow had swapped places.  
“Sherlock, what are you doing?” Molly asked, when she realised the mistake.  
“I dance with you, Molly.”  
“Yes, but you are in the wrong position. You are trying to do the woman's steps, remember?”  
“No, not now. John can wait. The wedding preparation can wait. One way or another he will manage. But right now, that doesn't matter. Right now, all that matters is you and me.”  
“Sherlock...”Molly started. This had taken quite a confusing turn.  
“Just this one proper dance, Molly. Please?”  
“Okay”, Molly said and took the proper position for a woman.  
The waltz started again and they danced slowly, gracefully and in sync like they had waited for this particular dance for years.


End file.
